The present invention relates to a game apparatus and communication game system which download game replay data by non-real-time communications and use the downloaded data for games.
Some arcade game machines installed in so-called game centers (to be simply referred to as locations hereinafter) can communicate with other game machines to perform communication games that users can play. The current communication games are limited to battle games using local communications between a plurality of game machines installed in a location. These games progress when a plurality of players simultaneous play games or cooperate with each other in real time. In this case, since the game machines are installed within a single location, they can be connected via high-speed data communications.
Network games based on communications via the Internet are known on PCs (Personal Computers). Demand has arisen for middle- or large-size games suitable for broad networks.
The following game is available for home game machines. Game results are transmitted to a host computer using non-real-time communications, and the host computer totalizes the game results. The home game machines receive the totalization results to compete in the game results.
When a game in the above-described form (real time type), which allows players to simultaneously play, is directly applied to game machines connected to a network such as a broad network capable of performing only relatively low-speed data communications, the problems in latency (communication delay), difference in time, communication quality, and the like occur. This game is not suitable for business in a location.
The above problems will be described below. First of all, the problem of latency (communication delay) will be described. Latency (communication delay) occurs due to a communication distance and signal passage via a relay device. Wire, radio, and optical communications are available. Even if one of them is employed, latency corresponding to a distance occurs, provided that the distance increases. The progress of a real-time game is interfered with the influence of this communication delay. Players may not often play this game in practice.
The problem of the difference in time will be described. Assume that locations open for the business hours from 12:00 noon to 12:00 midnight are located in Japan, London, New York, and Los Angeles. These locations rarely have the overlapping zones (simultaneously) of the business hours. The time zones when customers get together in the locations rarely overlap. Players at the home game machines and PCs (Personal Computers) can join a game any convenient time (even midnight or early morning). It is difficult to realize a worldwide communication game in the form of simultaneous participation in a location in the business form of a shop.
The problem of communication quality will be described. In broad communications, plays using the Internet on PCs are very popular, but communication quality is not guaranteed. Communications may be interrupted during the play in which players simultaneously join. In this case, this game no longer plays a role as a game. Players at PCs play an Internet game for personal pleasure and give up playing this game even if the communications are interrupted due to troubles in providers and communication rotues. When communications are interrupted in the arcade game machines installed in a location, and the customers cannot continue the game, troubles may occur between the customers and location.
In a game with which the players at the home game machines compete with each other in game results using non-real-time communications, each player intentionally connects the game machine to a predetermined host machine at the end of the game to upload the game result and downloads the totalization result. There is no conventional system for making the home game machine automatically transmit a game result when the game result is updated and automatically transmitting the updated totalization result to the home game machine. The upload contents are limited to only the game result (e.g., a score), and no game process can be transmitted.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems in the above-mentioned prior arts, and has as its object to provide a game apparatus and communication game system capable of allowing a communication game as if players at remote game machines were playing the game without posing the problems of latency (communication delay), difference in time, communication quality, and the like occurring in a real-time communication game.
In order to achieve the above object, a game apparatus according to claim 1 is characterized by comprising means for downloading, via a network, replay data for replaying a play process of a game of a player and game execution playback means for playing back the downloaded replay data and at the same time executing a game play by the player.
The invention of claim 2 is a communication game system having a plurality of terminal game machines connected to a network and a host computer, characterized in that each of the plurality of terminal game machines comprises storage means for obtaining and storing replay data for replaying a process of a game play when each player plays a game at a corresponding one of the terminal game machines, transmission means for automatically transmitting the replay data stored in the storage means to the host computer, reception means for receiving the replay data automatically transmitted from the host computer, storage means for storing the received replay data, and game execution playback means for playing back the received replay data stored in the storage means and executing the game play by the player, and the host computer comprises storage means for storing the replay data transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal game machines and transmission means for automatically transmitting the replay data stored in the storage means to each of the plurality of terminal game machines.
The invention according to claim 3 is a communication game system having a plurality of terminal game machines connected to a network and a host computer, characterized in that each of the plurality of terminal game machines comprises storage means for obtaining and storing result data and replay data for replaying a process of a game play when each player plays a game at a corresponding one of the terminal game machines, transmission means for automatically transmitting the result data and replay data stored in the storage means to the host computer, reception means for receiving totalization data automatically transmitted from the host computer, storage means for storing the received totalization data, and game execution playback means for reading out and playing back the replay data from the received totalization data stored in the storage means and at the same time executing the game play by the player, and the host computer comprises totalization means for totalizing, on the basis of the result data, the result data and replay data transmitted from each of the plurality of terminal game machines, and generating totalization data containing the result data and replay data, storage means for storing the generated totalization data, and transmission means for automatically transmitting the totalization data stored in the storage means to each of the plurality of terminal game machines.
The invention according to claim 4 is the communication game system in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the terminal game machine has an interface connecting detachable storage means to allow data readout, the game execution playback means of the terminal game machine reads out player character information serving as information associated with a game character and stored in the detachable storage means and reflects the readout player character information on the game, and the transmission means of the terminal game machine makes data transmitted to the host computer contain the player character information, and transmits the resultant data.
The invention according to claim 5 is the communication game system in claim 4, characterized in that the player character information stored in the detachable storage means is created and stored by a game machine not connected to the network but having an interface connecting the detachable storage means and reading/writing data. More specifically, the following form can be employed. A memory card used in a home game machine is used, and player character information created by the home game machine is saved in the memory card. This memory card is carried to the location where a arcade game machine according to the present invention is installed. The memory card is then set in the arcade game machine, and the player character information is read out from the memory card and reflected on the game.
The invention according to claim 6 is the communication game system in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the terminal game machine comprises image sensing means for obtaining image data obtained by sensing an image of a game player who plays the game, the transmission means of the terminal game machine makes data transmitted to the host computer contain the image data and transmits the resultant data, the transmission means of the host computer makes data transmitted to the plurality of terminal game machines contain the image data and transmits the resultant data, and the game execution playback means of the terminal game machine displays the image data corresponding to the replay data in playing back the replay data.
The host computer of the present invention may be a computer independent of the terminal game machine or may have a form in which the function of the host computer of the present invention is provided in any terminal game machine. The communication between the host computer and each terminal game machine is automatically performed at an arbitrary timing independently of execution processing of the game in the terminal game machine. This communication is performed without influencing the execution of the game (i.e., without loading a CPU). For example, communication is performed in the background of the game processing at a low communication rate or in a non-business time zone at night.